"Defeat is a state of mind. No one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality." – Bruce Lee

Have you ever had a random thought from the past come up? My thoughts about the past were brought up when I woke up today to check my investments. I didn't invest in the past. I remembered when I used to work to work at a fast food chain while taking a gap year. All my friends went to college while I felt like I got left behind. For a while I felt behind the curve. I kind of got tired of doing the same thing day in and day out feeling like my life wasn't going to amount to anything. I changed things one step at a time. I started exercising, reading, and investing more. Granted these things alone did not automatically make me better or vastly improve my life at the time, but they did help me in preparing. Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Being more confident, literate, and personable helped me meet more people who have been instrumental in me turning into the person I am today. Did you know that 8 out of 10 millionaires are self-made? I bring this up because it made me realize that I had to change myself and my mentality to achieve what I admired about the "mentors" I have met. I use mentors loosely because they never really acted like mentors. They were people who had stories that inspired me to do better in life and perhaps one day surpass what they have done.

What weakness did I overcome?

I recognized to stop looking at mistakes as something that could stop me today. 

What virtue did I acquire?

Reflecting the past. Look at my past mistakes as learning experiences.